Ring for ring tennis



Sept. 23, 1924? 4 F. L. SAWYER RING For: RING TENNIS Filed m 22, 1922ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 23, 1924.

PATENT OFFICE.

FREDERICK L. SAWYER, OF EVANSTON, ILLINOIS.

RING FOR RING TENNIS.

Application filed May 22,

Z '0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK L. SAWYER, a citizen of the United States,and resident of Evanston, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rings for RingTennis, of which the following is a specifr cation.

This invention relates to improvements in the ring for ring tennis.

For several years there has some times been played on shipboard, animprovised game known as ring tennis. The game is played with a ropegrommet of about 12 15 inches external diameter and a rope stretchedacross the deck about 9 feet in height therefrom, the deck being markedoff into a court. The rope grommet twists and bends out of shape in playparticularly after it has struck the deck making the return throw aswell as the catch difficult. The material of the rope is apt to injurethe hands due to its hardness and roughness, and is therefore veryunsatisfactory and is particularly objectionable to women and childrenwhen playing the game. One of the objects of this invention is toprovide a ring that will not hurt or injure the hands. Another object ofthis invention is to provide a ring that will maintain its shape whenthrown. Still another object of this invention is to provide moresatisfactory playing implements in order to develop the game andpopularize it on both land and on 85 shipboard, as it affords a newmeans of healthy outdoor recreation, which practi cally everybody bothyoung and old can play in the small spaces of town or city yards.

Referring to the drawings Figure 1, is a view in elevation of a ringembodying the principles of my invention.

Figure 2, is a cross sectional view of Fig. 1, along the line, 2, 2,looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 3, is a View in side elevation of a modified form of ring.

Figure l, is a cross sectional view of Fig. 3, along the line i, 4.-looking in the direc-- tion of the arrows.

In carrying out my invention I propose to provide a tubular ring 1, ofelastic material such as rubber, which I prefer to mold in 1922. SerialNo. 562,686.

two sections having the junction at right angles to the plane of thering in order that the internal ridge 2 thereof will act to stiffen thering 1 to counteract distortion of the ring from its plane by the forcesacting thereon when thrown. I also propose to provide a covering 3 ofsoft material such as felt wound spirally about the ring and fastenedthereon in any well known manner, such as by cementing or sewing.

In a modified form I provide a tubular. elastic ring 1 having internaland external corrugations 4 and 1.

These corrugations 4, 1 form a grip for the hands to facilitate thecatching of the ring and also function to stiffen the ring 1. tocounteract distortion and to aid the elastic walls and pneumaticpressure to restore the ring to shape. This modified form of ring 1 Ipropose to mold in two semi-circular sections and join the sections byvulcanizing at 5, 5.

Both the preferred embodiment and the modified form are under internalpneumatic pressure of more than one atmosphere.

In playing, the ring is thrown over a net and when caught by theopposing player will distort in the catching of it, nevertheless, thering will immediately spring into shape when released or thrown. Thepneumatic, elastic construction prevents injury to the player andbecause of the rings elastic quality and consequent resumption of itscircular shape when thrown and maintenance thereof in flight is morereadily controlled and the game may be played therefore more skillfully.With my invention children as well as adults can play the game on landor on shipboard without possible injury.

What I claim is 1. For the game of ring tennis, a ring, of a diameter ofnot less than six inches or more than fourteen inches, tubular elasticwalls therefor of symmetrical cross section, said walls having a uniformexterior surface without any opening, said walls being under internalpneumatic pressure.

2. For the game of ring tennis, a ring, of a diameter not less than sixinches or more than fourteen inches, tubular walls therefor of elasticmaterial containing means within said walls to counteract distortion inthe plane of the ring and means to counteract said Walls being uniformlydistributed for distortion in the plane at right angles to throwingbalance and formed to counteract the plane of the ring. distortion fromthe plane of the ring. 10 3. For the game of ring tennis a pneu- Signedat New York .in the county of 5 matic-ring, 'ofa diameter notlessthansix Newlorkand State of New York this inches or Ihd'reth'anfourteen "ihch'esjtul'iu- "20th dayof Ma yvA. 11.1922. e lar Walls ofrubber therefor, the material of FREDERICK L. SAVVYER.

